Foreign Office (FO) has intensified its rhetoric against the Afghan Taliban regime, demanding “concrete and verifiable action” against terrorists based in Afghanistan and labelling the country a “center breeding ground for terrorism.”
FO Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan delivered the strong remarks during a weekly press briefing, emphasizing that “Being disingenuous doesn’t help with dealing [with] the situation.”
Strong Warning on Terrorism
Khan expressed deep concern over recent militant activities, stating the “kind of savagery is condemnable and needs to be condemned.” He lamented that the violence “has deeply [to be] forgiven or forgotten,” and renewed his call for the Taliban regime to take immediate action.
In a stern warning delivered on Friday, the Foreign Office spokesperson condemned recent acts of terrorism as “savagery” that is “condemnable and needs to be condemned.” Emphasizing the gravity of the offenses, the official stated the incidents have “deeply offended us” and are “not to be forgiven or forgotten.”
He reiterated his claims that terrorists were in direct communications with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident.
“Pakistan has repeatedly asked the interim Afghan government to deny the use of its soil for terrorist groups like BLA for their attacks against Pakistan. We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism to justice.”
The spokesperson issued a categorical warning, asserting that Pakistan reserves the right to respond at an appropriate time to any terrorist threat emanating from across the border.
He also questioned the regional approach to the issue, asking, “Each country has complaints with the Afghan side on terrorism. Did any other country allow Afghans the way Pakistan did?”
Sovereignty and Ceasefire Clarifications
Addressing Pakistan’s operational independence, Shafat Ali Khan reiterated that the country is “under no obligation to inform anyone” about its security response, though it has kept its allies “in confidence.”
Regarding a past ceasefire with the Afghan Taliban, he clarified that the initiative came from the Taliban regime itself. While the arrangement was primarily a “bilateral track,” he noted that several countries were “involved in background” efforts.
Slams India’s “Negative Role”
Turning to regional dynamics, the spokesperson criticized India, stating its role “has been negative and casting a dark shadow in the region.” He specifically challenged New Delhi’s stance on Afghanistan, claiming that India’s assurances of respecting Afghan “territorial integrity and sovereignty ring hollow.”
Diplomatic Ties Remain, Talks Unconfirmed
Despite the current tensions, Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed that Pakistan has “no plan to degrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.”
Regarding media reports of potential Pakistan-Afghanistan talks in Qatar, the spokesperson stated he had “no specific information” about the matter.
